Moving somewhere...
We are preparing to move, which is difficult for me since I get attached so easily and am an organization freak. I'm sure those that know me would put it in a slightly harsher way. We have the new place and the old place until the end of the month.
The old place's landlord called me today to say that he has people lined up to see the place on Saturday 10-4 every half hour. Then he asked me why we were leaving since we like the house so much. I felt odd telling him that we just need less of a place. It brought me back to where I was when I originally found the old place in November 2006- I had just lost my really great paying job, had only been dating Matt for barely 4 months, was moving to the inner city with three dogs and was not sure why I was staying in Atlanta at all! When my family asked me why I was staying I would respond "I don't feel like I'm finished here yet." It's been somewhat of an experiment for me living in this house. It was incredibly tiny (to me), only 1 real bedroom plus two sort-of bedrooms, the worlds littlest three closets and one tiny bathroom- like I said to me it was tiny. In my adult years I had been moving up and up in house size and homey accommodations- next on my list was a big flat screen tv and brand new car. Isn't that what you were supposed to do?!
Now I'm moving (downsizing) to a one bedroom, studio like apartment/duplex, selling my one crappy tv and my house phones since I turned off my home phone line a couple weeks ago- going cell only from here on out. I'm yearning for more adventure in my life, I don't want to be so tied down to a house and all those 'accommodations' that I used to think were necessary. So as I'm packing to move to the new place I'm going through and purging belongings that used to be so necessary- somewhat of a fung shui attack mixed with a yard sale stash and internal cleaning out! When Matt and I first started dating I asked him where he wanted to live one day- meaning settling down somewhere for like ever (again, isn't that what you were supposed to do?!). He said- "Everywhere. I don't want to live anywhere forever." I thought he was just being crazy and giving me a manly non-answer to a commitment-feeling-out-type-question, but now I realize that he really did mean that. I'm totally up for that kind of adventure, another reason for the purge of belongings.
It is an interesting exercise to go through ALL your stuff you've collected through the years and really ask yourself- why do I have this? Do I NEED it for daily life? What memories are attached to this thing? Is the quality (bulk or lack of bulk) worth moving several times in the next coming few years? Are those memories that it represents going to disappear with that item? and of course...can I sell this on craigslist? :-)
As I dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail and they are all out THERE I wonder how much my perception is skewed from all this daydreaming of doing something crazy and adventurous? Will I miss all this stuff in a few months when I feel stuck inside hiding from the heat and overbearing sun? Or will I feel zen contentment from all the clear space in my supertiny apartment? At least I'll be close to the park so I can go sit and watch all the people with all their fancy stuff filling their fancy homes walking right by the invisible people that sleep in the park that have no stuff. And I'll feel ok about it all and work on planning a real adventure with this new found balance in my life.
The old place's landlord called me today to say that he has people lined up to see the place on Saturday 10-4 every half hour. Then he asked me why we were leaving since we like the house so much. I felt odd telling him that we just need less of a place. It brought me back to where I was when I originally found the old place in November 2006- I had just lost my really great paying job, had only been dating Matt for barely 4 months, was moving to the inner city with three dogs and was not sure why I was staying in Atlanta at all! When my family asked me why I was staying I would respond "I don't feel like I'm finished here yet." It's been somewhat of an experiment for me living in this house. It was incredibly tiny (to me), only 1 real bedroom plus two sort-of bedrooms, the worlds littlest three closets and one tiny bathroom- like I said to me it was tiny. In my adult years I had been moving up and up in house size and homey accommodations- next on my list was a big flat screen tv and brand new car. Isn't that what you were supposed to do?!
Now I'm moving (downsizing) to a one bedroom, studio like apartment/duplex, selling my one crappy tv and my house phones since I turned off my home phone line a couple weeks ago- going cell only from here on out. I'm yearning for more adventure in my life, I don't want to be so tied down to a house and all those 'accommodations' that I used to think were necessary. So as I'm packing to move to the new place I'm going through and purging belongings that used to be so necessary- somewhat of a fung shui attack mixed with a yard sale stash and internal cleaning out! When Matt and I first started dating I asked him where he wanted to live one day- meaning settling down somewhere for like ever (again, isn't that what you were supposed to do?!). He said- "Everywhere. I don't want to live anywhere forever." I thought he was just being crazy and giving me a manly non-answer to a commitment-feeling-out-type-question, but now I realize that he really did mean that. I'm totally up for that kind of adventure, another reason for the purge of belongings.
It is an interesting exercise to go through ALL your stuff you've collected through the years and really ask yourself- why do I have this? Do I NEED it for daily life? What memories are attached to this thing? Is the quality (bulk or lack of bulk) worth moving several times in the next coming few years? Are those memories that it represents going to disappear with that item? and of course...can I sell this on craigslist? :-)
As I dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail and they are all out THERE I wonder how much my perception is skewed from all this daydreaming of doing something crazy and adventurous? Will I miss all this stuff in a few months when I feel stuck inside hiding from the heat and overbearing sun? Or will I feel zen contentment from all the clear space in my supertiny apartment? At least I'll be close to the park so I can go sit and watch all the people with all their fancy stuff filling their fancy homes walking right by the invisible people that sleep in the park that have no stuff. And I'll feel ok about it all and work on planning a real adventure with this new found balance in my life.
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